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Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 208: 17 August 2010 |
With a well-publicised squeeze on public funding and capping of undergraduate full-time home/EU places for September 2010 it has been a bumper year already for those working in admissions. At its peak, UEL was running 45% ahead of applications in 2009 which is well above both the national increase and the increase seen by our immediate competitor group. At the close of the in-year cycle at the end of June, this had levelled off to 31% and thanks are extended to all staff across UEL who made the processing of these applications possible. Acceptance of offers for this group has also increased – by over 700 applications which is around 25%.
However, successful bidding for additional student numbers means that the late summer recruitment period and clearing operation is still critical to the achievement of required student numbers with a significant number of places still to be filled across the vast majority of our programmes. Whilst we anticipate that we will be able to fill these places quickly with well-qualified applicants we will need to ensure that if we close programmes for recruitment we divert our efforts and staff in the telephone centre to conversion activities so that those who have accepted a place are ready and able to join us for First Week on 20 September 2010.
A targeted advertising campaign to promote our Clearing hotline has already begun online and you will begin to see further adverts in the Metro and The Independent as we get closer to results day. We have also booked a number of targeted email campaigns with Hotcourses and UCAS to ensure we fill our Clearing vacancies as quickly as possible. This will then enable us to focus on ensuring these offer holders accept and enrol online before first week.
In order to meet the anticipated demand for places in September 2010 we have doubled the size of the Hotline Team and also increased School staffing in key areas… Staff will be ready to go from 7.30am on 19 August 2010!
Period |
Hours |
Weekends / comments |
Thurs 19 Aug 2010 – Sun 22 Aug 2010 |
Lines are open from 8.00am-8.00pm weekdays |
Sat 21 Aug 2010: 10.00am-4.00pm, Hotline and 1 staff member for each School required Sun 22 Aug 10: 10.00am-4.00pm, Hotline, School staff welcome! |
Mon 23 Aug 2010 – Sun 5 Sept 2010 |
9.00am-7.00pm weekdays |
Sat 28 Aug 2010: 10.00am – 4.00pm, Hotline Sun 29 & Mon 30 August 10: voicemail service (Bank Holiday) Sat 4 & Sun 5 September 2010: voicemail service |
Mon 6 Sept 2010 – Fri 17 Sept 2010 |
9.00am-5.00pm weekdays |
Voicemail service at weekends Friday 17 Sept 2010: 9.00am–12 noon, Hotline service to 5.00pm |
Overseas offers have increased on this time last year by 12% and we are now recruiting from a more diverse global base. The UK Border Agency's Points Based System, which was fully implemented in February this year, has meant significant changes in the way overseas applicants are issued supporting documentation for their visa applications. Instead of a visa letter, our International Admissions team now confirm an overseas applicant's unconditional offer directly to the UK Border Agency (UKBA) via an online system in the form of a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Each applicant is issued a CAS reference number and this is matched to the details we provided when they submit their visa application. The new system facilitates the visa application process for qualified and committed students as long as they are able to demonstrate they have the required finances. There are, however, still delays in some countries and we are monitoring the situation. As well as the hundreds of students that join us from overseas each year, a significant number of international students who enrol at UEL are already in the UK. Late summer recruitment is therefore an important activity for the International Office. For further information, visit: www.uel.ac.uk/international
Potential for growth…Part-time and postgraduate programmes are areas where we can grow our student numbers. Postgraduate applications have already risen by 57% and acceptances are up 64% on last year. To capitalise on this opportunity we will be launching a part-time and postgraduate recruitment campaign in late August. The campaign will feature general adverts in the Metro, City AM and on DLR and tube platforms. This will be accompanied by an extensive programme of trackable subject specific email campaigns and online ads.
An improving process…Last year we were adversely affected by a series of postal strikes which meant that we received some offer acceptances late, if at all. This year, in addition to electronic acceptance via the UCAS system for applicants pre-registered with UCAS, UEL is facilitating on-line offer acceptance and submission of fee assessment information by utilising YouDu web software. The admissions team has also recruited additional staff to process these submissions so that we have processed as many applicants as humanly possible through to enrolment by First Week. We have also continued to improve our internal processes and this year sees the introduction of an on-line booking system for UEL equivalency testing in Maths and English – for further information, please see your Summer Recruitment handbook.
Our telephone clearing operation, once again based on the Royal Docks Business School Trading Floor, has over a hundred telephones for our academic, administrative and temporary staff, ready to take calls from 8am on Thursday 19 August, when A Level results are released to all students.
So far, over 50 offers have been made and staff have counselled hundreds of callers. Teams based in Clearing include Admissions, Corporate Marketing, International Office, and Information, Advice and Guidance, as well as colleagues from our Schools. We are also catering for in-person enquiries with teams of ambassadors supporting our Information, Advice and Guidance team at both our Docklands and Stratford campuses. At Stratford, the Application and Advice Centre will once again operate from the ground floor of the Computer Centre - readily accessible to potential students as soon as they enter campus and an excuse to showcase our excellent ICT facilities!
We have a wealth of information on our web pages, with links from our front page to programme vacancies and information on applications, whatever the course and mode of study.
For those working in the centre, the Summer Recruitment Handbook is available online. It's for internal use only so you will need your staff username and password to access everything you need to know about how we recruit applicants over the summer. Have a look now at https://www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/admissions/internal/
There is also the opportunity to find out more and have any queries answered by attending the training session on 18 August 2010 at the Docklands Campus:
Session |
Time |
Location |
Facilitator |
Late Summer Recruitment overview |
10.00 |
WB.G.02 (lecture theatre, West Building, ground floor) |
Emma Burchfield |
Late Summer Recruitment - An International perspective |
11.00 |
WB.G.02 (lecture theatre, West Building, ground floor) |
Boriana Maurice |
Application Drop-in EveningsOur application drop in evenings will take place on Tuesday 31 August, 4-7pm at our Docklands campus, and Thursday 2 September, 4-7pm at our Stratford campus. Please note that staff working at these events will need to be setup and ready to receive visitors from 2pm onwards, as previous events have shown us that applicants are so keen to come and meet our teaching staff that they arrive well ahead of the official start time! Schools are therefore advised that they will need to have some staffing in place and ready to receive visitors by 2pm.
These events are primarily aimed at prospective students who want to apply to start a programme in September 2010. Visitors will have the opportunity to:
- Talk with our staff and students about the hundreds of degree programmes we offer
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Tour of our impressive facilities and student village residences
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Find out about our scholarships and bursaries and how to apply for them
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Speak to our student finance advisors about financial support
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Get help with completing your application form
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Pick up information and guidance on all aspects of university life
For details, visit www.uel.ac.uk/openday or contact Vicky Rossiter in Corporate Marketing
Catherine Downes, Director of Corporate Marketing said: “A lot of preparation and hard work goes into setting up our Clearing Centre, so I would like to thank everyone involved in this process. UEL’s application process has been streamlined for 2010 with a number of new initiatives in place to ensure that offers are extended to successful applicants as quickly as possible. This includes an Ipad application to group applicants who visit the Clearing Centre according to which stage they are at in the application process. This will ensure applicants move through the process quickly. Also, a fast-track service has been introduced for anyone who has contacted the pre-results hotline in the run up to results day.”
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
Key dates for Clearing:
- Wednesday 18 Aug 2010 Staff information and training sessions at Docklands
- Thursday 19 Aug 2010 A Level results published and Telephone Centre opens 8am
- Friday 17 Sep 2010 Telephone Centre closes
- Saturday 18 Sep 2010 Moving in Weekend for Student Halls of Residence
- Monday 20 Sep 2010 First Week commences
- Monday 27 Sep Teaching Starts
The Student Recruitment Marketing Team will be running a hotline (020 8223 3333) from the 9 to 18 August for any students concerned about their results.
Mirabilia Domestica: the textile self re/collected- Graduate School Exhibition- 7 August - 29 August 2010
Mirabilia Domestica: the textile self re/collected is part of a practice-based research project that links threads of experience and lines of thoughts to investigate the role of everyday textiles in the stories of our lives. The exhibition is happening at Middlesex University, Cat Hill, Barnet, Herts. EN4 8HT. The project website serves as an on-line catalogue of the installation as well as leading the visitor into a wider network of textile matters, memories and metaphors. See http://www.mirabilia-domestica.co.uk/archive/moda.html for more information
Open House Weekend
CASS School of Education, Stratford Campus, Saturday 18 September, 1- 5
For more information, visit www.openhouseweekend.org.uk
Tour of Britain, Saturday 18 September
Once again The Tour of Britain will see this year’s final stage being hosted by the Olympic and Para Olympic Borough of Newham. Come and show your support, as the cyclists pass along the dockside of UEL's Docklands Campus, towards the finishing line of the race. For more details of the route, visit HERE
UEL Open Days
Please note that the Aug/Sept open day events are split between campuses. Book online at www.uel.ac.uk/openday
For more information about Open Days, contact Vicky Rossiter on v.rossiter@uel.ac.uk
Open Day |
Tuesday 31 August |
4–7pm |
Docklands |
Programmes taught at Docklands Campus starting Sept 2010 |
Open Day |
Thursday 2 September |
4–7pm |
Stratford |
Programmes taught at Stratford Campus starting Sept 2010 |
Open Day |
Saturday 16 October |
12–4pm |
Stratford/ |
All start dates |
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
University of East London welcomes American triathlon team
The University of East London has started building relations with the American Olympic team ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, when the university will host many of the team’s logistical and service operations. The triathlon team visited London to take part in the London Dextro Energy Triathlon in Hyde Park last month and took the opportunity to meet with David Cosford, UEL Director of Sport and Paul Ford, Director of Olympic and Paralympic Partnership Operations.
Paul Ford said: “As part of our initiative to make the University of East London the number one university for sport in London, we’re really starting to build relationships with some key sports teams. We’re connecting with some great sportsmen and women at UEL, along with the American triathlon team; we’ve also just run a training camp for the British woman’s handball team, for example, and have recently hired a full-time tennis development officer. For us, it’s all about sharing expertise and developing relationships to ensure UEL plays a key role in sport, not just in London but internationally; a legacy which will last far beyond the Olympics”.
Many such events and meetings are planned for the coming months to help ensure UEL achieves its goal to become London’s sports university.
To visit the UEL Sports page, click HERE
External Research Funding Opportunity News (supplied by the UEL Graduate School)
Department of Health including NIHR, Research for Patient Benefit Programme (RfPB). Deadline: 24 September 2010. The RfPB programme funds regionally derived applied research projects in health services and social care. Its main purpose is to realise, through evidence, the huge potential for improving, expanding and strengthening the way that health care is delivered for patients, the public and the NHS. The funding available for an individual RfPB research project is up to £250k for up to 36 months. Please see here for information.
British Psychological Society, (1) Postgraduate Study Visits; (2) Research Seminars Competition. Deadline: 27 September 2010. The postgraduate scheme provides grants to enable research students who are registered for a doctoral degree at a UK university to undertake a study visit to another institution for a minimum of two weeks, to acquire skills directly relevant to their research training above and beyond that required for the completion of the doctoral degree. See here for more information. The Research Seminars Competition enables a minimum of two institutions to hold a series of at least three scientific seminars together. Grants of up to £3,000 are available. See here for more information.
UK Association for the Study of Latin America, Conference and Event Organisation Grants. Deadline: 28 September 2010. These support conferences and other events which are likely to advance the objects of the society. The budget is approximately £3,000 with grants worth up to £1,000 each. See here for more information.
European Commission, Seventh Framework Programme, various deadlines. The European Commission's Directorate-General for Research has published a series of calls for proposals under the 'Cooperation', 'Capacities', 'People' and 'Ideas' Programmes of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The calls come under a wide variety of themes and topics, including:
- health,
- food, agriculture and fisheries,
- 'Future Internet',
- information and communication technologies (ICT),
- automotive-related topics, including ICT, green technology and power storage technologies,
- joint initiatives with third countries, such as Russia and Japan,
- strengthening cooperation with Europe's neighbours and joint science and technology centres in third countries,
- nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies;
- buildings and energy efficiency,
- energy,
- space,
- ecological innovation,
- international staff exchanges, Marie Curie Initial Training Networks, Marie Curie Industry-Academia pathways,
- Starting Independent Researcher Grants,
- Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs)
- security research,
- building regional research potential,
- research benefitting small and medium enterprises,
- science and society,
- transport,
- socio-economic sciences and humanities,
- future and emerging technologies.
The budgets vary from call to call as do conditions for eligibility and deadlines. See here for more information.
The European Commission, Executive Agency Education, Audiovisual & Culture. Erasmus Mundus – Action 2 Partnerships. Deadline 15 October 2010. The current call for proposals EACEA 22/10 is launched with the specific aim of accomplishing those objectives identified in the cooperation between European and third country higher education institutions from South Mediterranean Region (Egypt, Israel and occupied Palestinian Territory), Central Asian Republics and Western Balkans. See here for more information.
Registrations open for "FP7 Proposal Writing" event on 23rd September 2010 at John Hanbury Lecture Theatre, School of Pharmacy, London. The UK Research Office will be holding a one-day proposal writing course for researchers and research administrators involved in preparing FP7 proposals. The UKRO FP7 Proposal Writing course is designed to help you find funding opportunities in FP7, give an overview of the submission and evaluation process, cover key financial and legal issues to consider when drafting a proposal and help you maximise your chances of success, with hints and tips and examples of best practice. See here for registration and more information.
Missed an Update? All previously advertised funding opportunities are archived until their date of expiry at http://www.uel.ac.uk/gradschool/research/ResearchUpdate.htm or http://www.uel.ac.uk/gradschool/research/euroupdate.htm
Please send comments or contributions for in Focus Update to: infocus@uel.ac.uk
To contribute a UEL news item please supply a headline (c. 10 words), short paragraph (c. 50-100 words) with a call to action (email / web link or phone) together with a photo.
To contribute a UEL event please supply a headline (c. 10 words), date, time, location, short description, with call to action (email / web link or phone)
© 2010
